First Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

Although you may not have any official paid work history, there are plenty of other ways to fill out your resume, such as school, sports, music, clubs, and student government. Even if they aren’t directly related to the career you’re pursuing, they can show you’ve taken the initiative to develop your leadership, knowledge, technical ability, and soft skills.

If you've volunteered with a local charity or completed an internship in your field of study, include these experiences on your resume. Highlight the skills you developed and any accomplishments you achieved. You can include them in the ‘Experience’ section of your resume. Like a regular job, list your title, responsibilities, and volunteer work or internship dates.

The first paragraph of your resume is the best place to communicate your eagerness and willingness to learn. That’s what an objective statement is for — expressing a few unique qualities that make you a good fit for the job.

You can do better than simply stating that you’re “willing to learn.” Phrases such as “highly motivated,” “quick learner,” and “eager to contribute” show you’re ready to take on any challenges and use them as a learning experience.

It’s common practice to begin the first sentence of your resume with an adjective such as, “enthusiastic,” “proactive,” or “resourceful.” After that first descriptive word, most applicants give a few more details by listing a job title, years of experience, and any industry expertise. Here’s a quick example of what and what not to do on your first resume.

• Do: “Detail-oriented high school student with six months of experience providing child care for children ages 1 to 7 years old.”
• Don’t: “Hard worker without much experience but willing to learn what it takes.”

Any resume style that emphasizes skills and education over your work history will be the most beneficial for first-time job seekers. A functional resume starts with both a skills section and academic history before any mention of professional experience. This draws the reader to your strengths and places less of an emphasis on a work history.

A combination resume is another great choice if you’d like to describe your experience in greater detail. It combines the best of the functional and chronological formats, allowing for a more robust experience section.

A common mistake people make on a resume is simply not proofreading well enough and submitting a document with spelling or grammatical errors. This also happens to be one of the most avoidable mistakes, especially with the help of writing assistants like Grammarly or artificial intelligence (AI) programs like ChatGPT. Even the smallest error can hurt your chances of landing an interview, so take your time and use all the tools at your disposal to create an error-free resume.